Global microbiome analysis of the desert adapted Acomys russatus and Acomys cahirinus.

We are looking for a creative and motivated PhD candidate with a background in computational biology to join a dynamic, multi-disciplinary research team investigating the environment and microbiota and interactions. This position is within Dr David Thybert lab at the Earlham institute with a close collaboration with Dr Lindsay Hall's lab at the newly formed Quadram Institute.
Although many studies have focused on the effect that diet and genetic backgrounds have on the gut microbiome composition in mammals, very little is currently known on what role the environment has on wild mammals. The environment could influence both diet via food availability and in turn the gut microbe composition.
The goal of this PhD studentship is to study and understand the relationship between gut microbiota function and host environment through a mixture of `dry' (bioinformatics) and `wet' (lab-based) approaches using analysis of metagenomes from desert adapted and non-adapted Acomys species to uncover the metagenome variability due to the environment.